We are pleased to see the Government of Ontario reaffirm its support of the Climate Change Action Plan and outline strategies to accelerate the transition to an innovation-based, low-carbon economy through investments in affordable housing, retrofit activities in social housing units, renewable energy technologies, cycling infrastructure and electric vehicle (EV) charging.

Contributing to the acceleration of the low-carbon economy is a focus for Evergreen. This year, we are embarking on the redevelopment of the historic kiln building at Evergreen Brick Works to create a year round hub that will ignite, accelerate and celebrate new innovations, practices and policies to shape our cities for the better. This retrofit is one of the first in Canada to set and strive for a carbon neutral target. The project began in early 2017 and continues through the fall.

The Government’s plan to leverage provincial land assets to build more affordable housing units across the province is exciting. Through our research as part of the GTA Housing Action Lab, Evergreen has been advocating for programs and policies that support the affordability of housing to ensure residents of all incomes have the best chance to live in a suitable home and have a choice in their housing.

Piloting their program at multiple sites in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area to develop up to 2,000 new housing units, in addition to the changes outlined in the Fair Housing Plan signal Ontario’s commitment to remain a leader in building and supporting flourishing cities. We look forward to learning more.

More needs to be done to ensure that the environment remains a priority. We hope to see more clarity on matching federal investments in transit and social housing to support the transition to a low carbon economy, creating flourishing cities across the province.